I write for young people, and while there are certainly 50,000-word novels for children, most of the ones I read and love are much slimmer than that. So are the ones I write. That doesn’t stop me from doing NaNoWriMo.
And I don’t just write books. I have two blogs going, one about gardening and self-sufficiency called Apocalypse Farm, and the other about books and writing where you are probably reading this post, at sharonedgemartin.com. I write political and education essays for The Oklahoma Observer, and my second picture book will be coming out in 2019. One of my sisters calls me ADHD Girl.
So, how does a writer of short stuff do NaNoWriMo? And why would she? Because I’m good at getting down short drafts and revising them as many times as necessary, but keeping up the daily focus on a longer piece is a little harder. While I won’t win at NaNoWriMo, it is good for me to take up the challenge, to come up with a plan to win my way.
This year, I’m writing a middle grade mystery. I have written poems this month, three blog posts, and four essays for The Observer, but I’ve written at least a few hundred words on the mystery every single day.
I have updated my word count daily, and with five days to go, including today, I intend to get that daily progress badge. I will keep writing a few hundred words a day until the first draft is complete, probably around Christmas.
When it is finished, I’ll put it away. I have a novel in verse to revise at least one more time and a nonfiction manuscript to finish. It will likely be summer before I get back to the mystery, but I’m already thinking about next November. Wouldn’t ADHD Girl make a good superhero!
Sharon Edge Martin 